The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-05-26
THE KING OF sAwDUsT.
He Tells a Newspaper Man How to Work
the Innocent.

INC IHHOccuS'
ssI have been so successful at the |
sawdust game that 100000 in cold
cash would not touch me to-day, said
a notorious confidence man to New
York Evening Sun reporter. 1.-The
game has grown so threadbare and has
been exposed so often, however, that
am kept constantly studying up some
new scheme to rope in the guys. 1t
isn't anything like it used to be, can
tell you. Why, can recOllect five
years ago when l thought nothing OF
raking in s., 900 a week, and on seve-
raj occasions l took in SIS, 200 in one
week Those were good times. My
expenses are frightfully heavy. I've
always got fifteen or twenty steerers
that must be paid fifteen or twenty
dollars a man, according to the Doodle
that he drops. Then there's my
turner, who has charge of the layout.
He must be paid well, for a good
turner is not picked up every day.
And then, besides, have agents all
over the country looking up good sub
jects to work on.
s.When a man is found who it is
suspected will take the bait one of my
circulars is sent him. There's nothing
in it that could criminate me, even if
it got into wrong hands. don't tell
him that I'm selling counterfeit mon
ey, but simply allude to it as manu-
factured green stuff in the denomi-
nations of Is, 2s, 5s, los, and 2Os.
He generally knows what it means.
If he writes back for sample, and
think he means business l cut, for in
stance, bran new, good $5 bill in
two, and send one-half of it to him.
That generally brings him. 1t has
been previously understood between
us that upon his arrival IN this city
he is to telegraph me at what hotel
he is stopping and under what name.
Then one of my steerers calls at the
hotel and steers him to the layout,
which is situated either upstairs, or
down in basement with dark pas
sage-way You will understand the
reason for this presently. When he
gets into the layout it's very rare
thing that he leaves with more than
Just enough money to take him out of
town.
when he enters the layout, which
has been fixed for his reception, new
crisp greenbacks greet his eyes on all
sides. The shelves are apparently full
of them, and he imagines that barrels
are filled with the notes. The pack
ages on the shelves, however, simply
have a bank note on the top and bot
tom. The rest is paper cut the right
size. The barrels have false tops.
The greenbacks have just been brought
from the sub-treasury on Wall street
in exchange for old bulls.
.sHe first advances to the counter,
takes up bill. and in nine cases out
of ten takes one from his pocket and
compares the two. He couldn't be
other than satisfied. Then he signi-
fies how much he wants. He is told
he can have $1,000 for $500. The
money is counted out by the turner
and either done up in package or
placed in yalise. If the guy has on
> a good stone OF watch-chain some
fabulous sum is offered for it and
placed in with the other money.
''When the package has been Sc
curely sealed, something must be
done to distract his attention from it.
1t requires only a second. AS q rule,
one of my men from behind him
J makes some startling remark and he
turns his head. The second his head
goes around, package is substituted
for the one the money is in. He is
. allowed to carry his own money il
. this case But he is told that in order
| to secure us against any treachery Oh
, his part, he must take the package t.
{ the express office and send it to hi:
, home. He must then allow one of my
men to accompany him to the traiI
, and see the train start off with hin
in it. Then we are safe.
..When he arrives home he calls fol
; his package, and very likely lock
| himself in his room and stuffs the key
hole full of paper before he opens it.
When he does open it he finds pack.
age of sawdust or paper, with gene
rally an accompanying note which
tells him that the package has been
Z: substituted on the road.
1--WE had the same man come back
three times OF more, thinking that il
D was stolen on the road. If he does
. find out that we have duped him, hi
!? can't squeal, for he is as deep in the
!! mire as we are.
Z ..If guys attention in the substi
tuting act cannot be withdrawn from
q the package, one of my men takes it
and in company with the fiat start
for the express office. Going through
the dark passage-way or down stair'
( they meet a man. In passing eaci
. other the packages are exchanged
r It's regular sleight-of-hand work"